A Texas man just back from West Africa has been confirmed as having the first case of Ebola to be diagnosed in the U.S.
Authorities with the Centers for Disease Control revealed the finding Tuesday, two days after the unidentified patient arrived at a Dallas hospital with suspicious symptoms.
Officials at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas put the man into "strict isolation" and sent a blood specimen to state and federal labs for testing.
The CDC said results show the man has the deadly disease which has been linked to more than 3,000 recent deaths in Africa. According to the World Health Organization, there have been more than 6,500 cases confirmed in Africa, with Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone among the hardest hit.
Dr. Christopher Perkins with the Dallas County health department told reporters that the Texas man didn't start showing symptoms until he arrived home.
"We know at this time this person was not symptomatic during travel but became symptomatic once arriving here and being home for several days," said Perkins, according theDallas Morning News. "So that decreases the threat that might be to the general population."
The CDC has a team enroute to North Texas to help health officials re-trace the man's contacts since he has been back in the states.
Dr. Thomas Frieden, CDC director, said the man arrived from Liberia on Sept. 20, but didn't start feeling ill until Sept. 24. The man saught medical treatment last Friday before being sent home, but later admitted to the hospital on Sunday.
The deadly Ebola-EVD has been around since the 1970's (on and off), but the recent outbreak which started early this year and has been traced to Guinea is said to have been the worst yet, since the virus was discovered.
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